It’s unusual for me to just draw a tree. Not a tree in an urban setting , but just a tree. Turns out this was a weekend of three tree sketches!

This first one is from a lovely afternoon hiking with Suma. Here we are, sitting right on the trail, sketching.

And here’s my tree sketch…

Which got me thinking about the fact that I rarely draw trees. When I think of trees, a few people come to mind. Cathy Johnson, who obviously loves her trees, Virginia Hein with her trees all bathed in that warm Los Angeles light, and Shari Blaukopf who often draws this tree outside her window.

So I drew the tree outside my front window. And just for good measure, I drew it twice.

And it’s a good thing I drew it this week, because, see those tiny buds on it? Given the super-warm weather we’ve been having, this tree might be totally covered in leaves by next week.

I love this entry – the colors and simplicity in the first one, the aliveness and movement in the second one, and the sensitivity of the third one. I’m wondering what materials you used in the third one. I’ve been obsessed with painting and/or drawing trees but I haven’t done anything nearly so alive as yours, although I certainly long to achieve that. I’d like to hear more about your process and materials. Thanks so much!